Friday, September 25, 2009

At the July MWEP meeting I was lucky enough to meet Allison Bower, a local make up artist. We traded cards and last week met for coffee. Allison came over with her adorable little girl, Baye, and we had such a nice morning just chatting.

Allison has an amazing eye for color and detail. When you talk with Allison you can just tell that she has a passion for what she does. It is always so refreshing to meet people in the industry that love what they do and that comes across in their work.

Here are a few questions I asked Allison so that you can get to know her a little better.

How long have you been in the makeup industry and where are you located?

I have been doing makeup all my life but I decided to start my own business a year ago.

What type of clients do you like to work with (traditional, modern, etc.)?

I work largely with models, brides, photographers and shop owners.I enjoy working with people who are fun and innovative.

Is there anything within your business that you specialize in?

Makeup for weddings and fashion.

What do you think sets you apart from other vendors in the industry?

It’s difficult to draw a comparison between me and other artists.From what I’ve seen, there are some talented local artists.I believe fully in my training, technique and collaborative efforts with clients and vendors.I’m considerate of other people’s time and efforts and always follow through on my word.

When you’re not busy working, how do you like to spend your downtime?

I have three young children who are 8, 6, and 4. I also have a fantastic husband. I love to be with them when I am not working. Even doing little events like going to pumpkin patches, nature walks, or going to the zoo gets me excited.

What is one crazy story of something that has happened while you were working?

I had a photographer who had to reschedule shortly before a fashion shoot. I had to find a different photographer in short order to work with five models. I had to sift through 70 emails from photographers and pick the best one (this was early in my career and I didn’t have an established list of preferred photographers). In the end, an amazing photographer committed to the shoot and the results were fantastic.Out of courtesy, I did write all the other photographers back, too.